Kerbside glass recycling and food waste collections proposed for Bassetlaw residents

Cabinet members will meet on Tuesday the 26th of November to look at the proposals which should mean residents, especially those in rural areas or who have limited access to transport, won’t need to travel to recycle their glass, while helping the council meet its legal requirements on recycling.

Under the plans, every household would receive a new 180 litre glass recycling bin, which would be smaller than the current blue and green ones and easier to handle than a box, with collections potentially taking place every six weeks.

Cllr Darrell Pulk, Cabinet Member for Environment and Energy said:

“These proposals will bring significant benefits for all residents but especially those living in rural communities where their nearest bring-it site may be several miles away.

“As well as helping the council meet the latest legal requirements for recycling, it would also meet our Vision 2040 pledge to increase recycling rates by introducing food waste and glass collections at the kerbside.”

Before any glass collection scheme can begin, the council will have to order three specialised collection lorries and 57,000 new bins at a cost of £1.5m, while more staff will also need to be recruited. Meanwhile the running costs of the scheme are predicted to be met by the resale price of glass and the value given to recycling it.

According to the Simpler Recycling regulations, published by DEFRA in 2023, all local authorities in England must collect the same recyclable waste, including glass and food waste, from households.

The council’s deadline for providing kerbside glass collections is April 2026, while it has until October 2027 to provide weekly kerbside food waste collections.

A further update report to Cabinet on plans for food waste collections is proposed in October 2025.